Olive Leaf Fact Sheet, FAQs & Product List

Olive leaf information, FAQ and product listing page. This page contains information and frequently asked questions about olive leaf as well as a complete list of products containing olive leaf.

What is olive leaf and what does it do?

Olive leaf is a leaf of the olive tree known as Olea europaea. While olive oil is traditionally thought of because of it’s health benefits and flavor, the leaf has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries. Olive leaf extracts (OLE) and natural olive leaves are sold in the United States and in other countries by being marketed as an anti-aging, immunostimulator, and antibiotics supplement.

As stated, medicinal use for the olive leaf has dated back centuries. Originally, it was used by the Egyptican and Mediterranean cultures to treat a plethora of health conditions. Olive leaf is the first botanical that was mentioned in the Bible, in verse Ezekiel 47:12: “There fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.” It’s cited as being a natural healing element.

Back to top

What are the benefits of taking olive leaf?

Oleuropein is one of the most active chemicals found in an olive leaf. In some of the small human studies that have been performed on the supplement, oleuropein has been found to reduce existing high blood pressure. Numerous extensive animal studies have shown that it may also lessen or prevent high blood pressure.

Oleuropein affects blood pressure in many different ways. For one, it is believed to have an effect on relaxing your blood vessels. This causes the heart not to pump as much and with as much force, which causes blood pressure to go down. Oleuropeinmay is potentially able to prevent the depositing of cholesterol in arteries. Additionally, a study among healthy adults has shown that oleuropein has reduced the “stickiness” factor of platelets, blood components that along with cholesterol build up in your arteries to form plaques. This hardens the arteries and leads to strokes and heart attacks.

Other studies have shown even more benefits of oleuropein. One study showed that oleuropein lowered levels of blood sugar within animals that have diabetes. It’s believed this is caused by forcing more glucose to be used by the body – this stimulates the release of insulin. In another laboratory study, olive leaf has displayed a type of anti-infective property. It showed that contact with the olive leaf extract had the ability to kill types of bacteria and slow down the development of skin fungi.

Oleuropein has also shown to interfere with some of the infective properties of HIV (AIDS).

Back to top

Who can benefit from taking olive leaf?

Healthy adults, especially those that frequently become sick may benefit from supplementing olive leaf. However, woman that are pregnant or breast-feeding should be advised not to take it because of it’s unknown possible side effects.

Back to top

How much olive leaf should I take?

Olive leaf is usually sold in liquid extracts or capsules. A common dosage of the drug is 400 mg about four times a day, but the amount of doses can vary wildly depending on your body and your needs for the compound. If you and your doctor decide to supplement with olive leaf, you should follow the directions that are found on the back of the supplement package.

Back to top

Does olive leaf have any side effects?

Olive leaf has the ability to lower blood pressure using a variety of methods. One of these can include the widening of your blood vessels. As a result, hypotension (extreme low blood pressure) may result. Signs of hypotension may not be anything guaranteed, but it has the ability to produce confusion, dizziness, blurred vision, and even fainting.

Because of the olive leaf’s ability to lower blood pressure, it may have some adverse effects to other drugs that lower blood pressure as well. Some of these drugs that lower blood pressure can include ACE inhibitors like enalapril, lisinopril, and captopril. This list also can consist of beta blocks and calcium channel blocks like metoprolol, atenolol, nifedipine, and verapamil.

Back to top

OLIVE LEAF PRODUCTS ON SALE NOW:

The full product listing for supplements that contain Olive Leaf will be posted soon!

Sources used:
Cruess WV, and Alsberg CL, The bitter glucoside of the olive. J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 1934; 56:2115-7.
Samuelsson G, The blood pressure lowering factor in leaves of Olea Europaea. Farmacevtisk Revy, 1951; 15: 229-39
Veer WLC et al, A compound isolated from olea europaea. Recueil, 1957; 76:839-40
Panizzi L et al, The constitution of oleuropein, a bitter glucoside of the olive with hypotensive action. Gazz. Chim. Ital; 1960; 90:1449-85.
Renis HE, In vitro antiviral activity of calcium elenolate. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 1970; 167-72.
Elliott GA et al, Preliminary studies with calcium elenolate, an antiviral agent. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 1970; 173-76.
Soret MG, Antiviral activity of calcium elenolate on parainfluenza infection of hamsters. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 1970; 160-66.
Petkov V and Manolov P, Pharmacological analysis of the iridoid oleuropein. Drug Res., 1972; 22(9); 1476-86.
Juven B et al, Studies on the mechanism of the antimicrobial action of oleuropein. J. Appl. Bact., 1972; 35:559-67.
Hirschman SZ, Inactivation of DNA polymerases of Murine Leukaemia viruses by calcium elenolate. Nature New Biology, 1972; 238:277-79.
Heinze JE et al, Specificity of the antiviral agent calcium elenolate. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother., 1975: 8(4), 421-25.
Kubo I et al, A mutichemical defense mechanism of bitter olive olea europaea (Oleaceae)-- Is oleuropein a phytoalexin precursor? J. Chem. Ecol 1985; 11(2):251-63.
Gariboldi P et al, Secoiridoids from olea europaea, Phytochem., 1986; 25(4)865-69.
Zarzuelo A et al, Vasodilator effect of olive leaf, Planta Med., 1991; 57 (5),417-9.